The Evening Standard has reported on a case
where Jonathan
Zimmern represented a 13-year-old girl from
Wickford, Essex, was left quadriplegic and unable to breathe
without a ventilator following a routine operation to correct the
curvature of her spine at The Royal National Orthopaedic
Hospital.

The High Court found that the surgeon had failed
to halt the operation despite clear signs that the spinal cord was
at risk.

Rebecca seeks several million pounds in compensation to pay for
the round-the-clock care that she will require for the rest of her
life.

Rebecca was admitted to The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
in 2006 to undergo the operation which would correct the curvature
of her spine (scoliosis), a condition which in this case was caused
by a genetic condition - Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Throughout the operation she was connected to a monitor to
detect nerve signals in the spinal cord. The purpose of these
signals was to alert the surgeon to the possibility that damage was
being done to the spinal cord and to allow him to take remedial
action to ensure that any such damage was not permanent.

Following the procedure Rebecca was initially unable to move her
arms. Over the following hours, the paralysis spread to her legs
and then her chest until she was no longer able to breathe without
a ventilator. She had previously enjoyed a very active life but now
requires, and will require for the rest of her life,
round-the-clock care from two carers.

Rebecca's parents, Julia and Andy Ling, instructed Jonathan
Zimmern, medical negligence barrister at law firm Field Fisher
Waterhouse, in a claim against The Royal National Orthopaedic
Hospital. The claim was funded by Legal Aid.

The High Court ruled that the surgeon had been negligent in
continuing to operate once the signals dropped so dramatically for
the second time. The claim is now being quantified but is likely to
run to several million pounds. The hospital is appealing against
the ruling.